The Opelousas courier., 1887-11-19

mary parish, L Ieel IL my uuGy TO INFORM
you of the final result.
find that the commerce of the Teche
amounts to SIS, 1886, 724.88. To this
have added an estimated commerce Of
the Opelousas country of $7,250,000
making q total commerce of $2I 1886,
734.85 for the year 1887, as against
$l7, 36Q,698 for 1886. To show you the
amount of commerce that is directly in
terested in the opening and locking o1
the bayou PlaQuemine and the improv-
ment of that navigation, | have added
an estimated commerce of Red, Ouachi-
ia and Tensas rivers, with their trlbu-
~taries, making q commerce of at least
$4,000, 900 annually, that is either d.
rectly OF indirectly interested in this
measure.
To the Attakapas and Opelousas peo-
pie it will give them a short, safe and
much more expeditions route to the
Mississippi river and New Orleans at
all seasons Of the year than the present
long, tedious and uncertain route
through the Atchafalaya and Old rivers,
saving a distance of near two hundred
miles to the former and v n hun
dred miles to the latter ON each trip.
To the people of Western Louisiana
and parts of Texas and Arkansas it will
give a certain, safe and reliable COM
munication with the Mississippi River,
New Orleans and the north and west at
low water.
At present we are entirely cut off
from the Mississippi river by the sand
bars and mud flats of Old river and there
is no telling how long this condition Of
affairs viii continue.
In the meantime, the people of the
whole country, embracing more than
two thousand miles of navigable
streams, are gathering their crops, and
anxious to ship them to market, are
left entirely to the mercy of the rail-
roads.
1t is we'll known that the most pro-
ductive plantations and farms are stu
ated on or zeal the banks of the nu-
nitrous rivers and bayous that intersect
the country in every direction. The
sugar and gin houses are generally |
built on their banks o. near them, so
that steamboats, car take whatever they
have to ship and bring them their sup
plies without any trouble or inconve-
nience. But owing to navigation be-
ing suspended, they have to pay x
bitant freights, are put to great incon-
v%enience, trouble and expense to get
their produce to the railroad depot, Of
ten compelled to haul long distances in
wagons over bad roads, or of boating
to them.
When by the opening and locking of
the Bayou Plaquemine and the improve
ment of the navigation of The numerous
rivers and bayous they could have a
certain, safe and reliable communica-
ton with the Mississippi river at all
seasons of the year and through COM
petition between the steamboats, and
railroads save from fifty to one hundred
per cent on the freights that they, are
now compelled to pay.
1t will also be of great benefit to the
city of New Orleans; by giving to the
country naturally tributary to her faci-
lities for shipping their produce and
getting the supplies fromkher, thereby
preventing a larger portion of il from
being diverted to other markets. We
now have a line of stef}mers runnEical
from BerWick's Bay to galveston WIN ye
connections by steamhaats to st. NE v =
tinsEille that are diveEenaag a large pn9qle q
ton of the sugar and Rolasses cropY1hhls
Galveston, when, if our people had faaif
cilities for shipping to New Orleans,
they would prefer to ship it to that mar
ket.
It will not do to rely on the present.
route through the Atchafalaya, Red and
Old river. The General Government
has been working on that for several
years and instead of improving, has
lef3it in worse condition than ever.
The opening, locking and dredging
out the Bayou Plaquemine is practical
Of easy execution. There is no Doubt
or uncertainty about it. The surveys
and estimates have been made and the
amount required small in comparison to
immense interests at stake. Con-
the large amount Of money that
has been expended by the Government
10 improving the rivers and harbors of
The North and West, where in many in
no such vast interests were at
stake, 1 am confident that the Congress
Of the United States will not refuse us
The necessary appropriations If the
easure were properly brought before
Them and pressed with the zeal and en-
orgy its Importance demands.
As / hayB shown that this measure
will be Of great benefit toqhe Attakapas
md Opelousas countries and to the
whole Of Western Louisiana, that it will
slso be of benefit to the city of New Or
cans, then let us all unite by. petitions !
" otherwise in demanding that the ap-
,ropriati0ns be made and that the work |
70 completed as o ais possible, and
hat our Senators and Representatives
q Congress be requested to exert them (
elves III favor Of this measure. I
q. e. KING. !!
Dir. Kings estimates for all the Teche !
parishes are as follows : (
Il. Mary.--.. 81 ,a397, 1874 35
IBERIA 4y,49I, 1858 IA :
It. Martin. 1866, I02 So !
i. Landry, etc- 7,25O,O0O DOL
Totaltr trade of Attakapas Z
and OpeIousas------ $2I ,825, 724 IS !
'rade of Red river, Qua Z
ehita and other streams g
emptying into the Mis-
sissippi through Old
liver 60,625,5 500 90
rand total. s. s ,224 IS 8
$500 Ifl